Why 49ers defense will dominate Rams (again) in Week 2

The 49ers defense dominated in Pittsburgh last week and will likely repeat that performance against the Rams in Week 2.

The San Francisco 49ers absolutely showed out last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers in their first game to open the 2023 season. The Niners dominated 30-7 on the road in a game that was one-sided from the start.

The 49ers, from top to bottom, were excellent in four quarters of football against the Steelers, and the defense was especially great in that performance.

The performances of all the defensive units were strong, starting with the big boys up front. The defensive line recorded five sacks and nine QB hits. They kept opposing quarterback Kenny Pickett constantly uncomfortable throughout the game

The linebackers, led by Fred Warner, held the Steelers 41 total yards rushing yards. Although Warner dropped a potential interception that quite possibly could've been taken back for a touchdown, he got his hands on a pass later that led to an interception by safety Talanoa Hufanga.

The secondary had a day as well. In addition to the aforementioned pick from Hufanga, cornerback Charvarius Ward also picked off Pickett early in the game, and the Steelers were held to 198 passing yards as a team by this unit.

The Los Angeles Rams will be a completely different challenge in Week 2 for San Francisco, though. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is not as green as Pickett. He is a Super Bowl champ and is in his 15th season.

However, many players on this 49ers defensive unit have played against Stafford multiple times in the past few seasons, and they have an excellent regular season record against him, 4-0, to be exact.

How exactly will the Niners defense against LA in their Week 2 battle this season?

Let's take a look at some predictions.